Sting Texas Cup

As an observer of the U14 Gold Division, I am stunned that in Bracket A, you could have a team, FC Dallas Gold, undefeated not moving forward in the playoff round, all because you don't have an opportunity to play everyone in their 3 team bracket. The team, Sting 02 "H", also undefeated, is awarded the bracket on tie breakers other than head to head, since there wasn't one. FWIW, my daughter does not play for either of these teams. The assumptions are obvious.

Couple that with, in the U14 Silver Division, Sting Cuevas, who finished 2nd in their Bracket A, was reseeded to play the 2nd seed of the other Bracket B, FC Dallas 01 rather than facing the 1st place team, Texas Rush, that had defeated them earlier in the day and was in line to play based on format. Cuevas lost 0-2. It is also unfair to the teams that earned the 1st places in their respective brackets, Texas Rush and Lonestar Red South, having to face each other in the other semi. Rush winning in OT or PKs.

Makes one shake their head. I guess you pay your money and enjoy whatever transpires.

Actually amazed there hasn't been more discussion about this. I've been watching this stuff a long time and have never seen anything like what sting just did in u14 gold.  DD wasnt playing...no skin in the game...but will be interested to see what ntx teams do next year regarding this tournament. Can't imagine there will be many willing to play texas cup going forward other than stx teams and sting.

Most ridiculous thing I've ever seen...a team that scores ZERO goals in 3 games wins their "bracket" and advances to semis...and wins that...so now going to finals.

Sting does it in their 3v3 events too! Absolutely ridiculous how a team can win all three games and not advance. Why any team would play in one of their events is beside me, never seen or heard of a tourney with that type of format. Complete joke!

Anyhow you set when you have three teams there will always be a reason to complain. if you go true cross over. If the brackets haven't been properly seeded. All three teams could go undefeated and still create a problem. If you have them play the 2 teams from their bracket then 1 play 3 and 2 seed plays 2. Then seeding has to be right. The one thing is the if they do it the first way the tiebreak needs to make sense. Goal differential first, then goals against. Something seems a little off with and 8 GD advantage not going through. But such is life.

What a joke of a tournament. What I don't understand is why they felt the need for crossover groups anyway?! There were 12 teams in Gold division. 3 groups with division winner each advancing and 1 overall wildcard, or is that too simple and wouldn't benefit Sting enough. They'd probably screw everyone with the seedings anyway.

Anyone that plays this tournament is wasting their time and money on a holiday weekend. What a joke.

Sadly, he who is making, at least the tournament decisions, at Sting really needs to step down. Great tournament, really has awesome potential for growth, and at a ideal time of the year, but not with this format. I don't know that the Sting teams need as much help at advancing in the tournament as the director clearly tried to provide. Sting seems to be trying to hard to takeover the NTX women's soccer world. Stop and you will be better because you did!

Zizou wrote:Sadly, he who is making, at least the tournament decisions, at Sting really needs to step down. Great tournament, really has awesome potential for growth, and at a ideal time of the year, but not with this format. I don't know that the Sting teams need as much help at advancing in the tournament as the director clearly tried to provide. Sting seems to be trying to hard to takeover the NTX women's soccer world. Stop and you will be better because you did!

Where do you come up with that from the U14 bracket format?

The format was clearly set up to ensure that the out-of-town teams had representation in the semis and finals, regardless of whether or not any of those teams were among the top 4 in the group.  If anything, it hurt any Sting team's chance to advance because they were playing for one of only 2 available spots in the semis instead of 1 of 4 available spots (by the way, EVERY NTX team was negatively affected in the same way).

You want to complain about the screwy format, I'm right there with you.  I could see it negatively affecting future participation in this tournament.  However, to suggest that it had anything to do with trying to provide Sting teams an advantage?  Sorry, I ain't buying that.

Better format for this...

Create 2 6-Team brackets. 3 NTX and 3 STX teams in each bracket. Play a similar cross-over of the 3 NTX teams playing the 3 STX teams. Top 3 pointed teams in each bracket make it to the knockout round, with the top pointed team from each bracket getting a bye into the semis. 2nd place A plays 3rd place B and vice-versa in the quarters.

Everyone still gets to play 3 games against opponents that they don't normally play, but every team still has to earn their way into the knockout round.

Then why? That is what's got everyone so confused.

Makes a lot of sense BW...except it's hard to imagine Sting couldn't have come up with that format if that was their intent. If all they were after was making sure NTX played STX they could've done their cross bracket stuff and still taken the top 4 points getters into the semi.

The way they set this up STX teams could've lost every single game and still be guaranteed two teams in semi and a team in final. Surely that was no accident?

If the goal was guaranteeing games for stx why not make it a friendly tournament and don't award trophies or have semis or finals...just run all age groups like u do the showcases...at least then everyone knows what they're getting before paying and giving up their thanksgiving weekend.  Maybe Sting has some agreement with stx club(s) and it's a you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours...and sting is expected to send teams to play in their tournaments.

I could see Sting making a deal like that. A large club like Sting could travel with a alot of teams. just stings name alone attached to a tournament in the south could increase local team participation increasing revenues. Last I checked, these tournaments produce huge revenues for clubs.

Don't believe there was any funny business going on as the teams that advanced did so based on the tiebreakers that were laid out.  

What did happen is that the TD got the format of this age group completely wrong.  It was this format that created the disastrous scenario.  The only way to do this age group would have been 3 groups of 4 with the top wild card advancing, with the wild card not being allowed to play a team within their group in the semi final.

Hopefully there is a lesson learned here and it won't happen again.  I would suggest that they send a written explanation and apology of sort if they want teams to come back.  There is no way you can possibly have a team go unbeaten and not advance.

Vote with your money. That is the only way you'll get their attention.